“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” Jn. 6:35.

Throughout these four Sundays the Church presents us with the teachings of Jesus, the Bread of Life, in the Gospel of John.

I would like to reflect on this point. What does it mean to believe in Jesus, the Bread of Life?

Last week Jesus presented himself as “the living Bread from heaven” in the Gospel. But the people did not understand the sign because Jesus was inviting them to “disconnect” with what they believed to be “important” in their lives.

We constantly have to make choices that defy our faith in Jesus, “the Bread of Life”. This idea comes to mind: We are all hungry. Some of us are hungry for prestige, others for power, money, and health. There are those whose only daily visit are to the doctor and know all the drugs available with or without prescription. It is not bad to take care of your health just like it is not bad to have money, but brothers and sisters “the emptiness of God can only be filled by Christ, the Bread of Life”.

Others with a fundamentalist mentality of the Old Testament say that this is a “sign or symbol of the love that God has for us”, but, attention, there is a spiritual hunger and thirst that goes beyond prestige, power, money, or health. We need to renew ourselves and disconnect from our former self of sin. “Christ has taught that you should put away the old self of your former way of life…..and be renewed in the spirit of your minds”. Eph 4:22-23.

The Lord’s invitation is to be converted. The greater the conversion and the more faith in Christ, the Bread of Life”, and the greater the commitment with Him and the greater the disconnection with those “things” that we invent we need and that destroy and cool our life of faith.

This week when you receive Holy Communion at Mass reflect on this: Jesus wants to fill your spiritual hunger and I ask you: Do you worry about filling the spiritual hunger and thirst of children and adults who do not know God? Or do you remain, as Pope Francis says “balconied” (watching) and asking the Lord: “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus’ response is: “That you believe in the one he sent”, Jn. 6:28-29, the Bread of Life.